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The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naïve Midwestern townsfolk, promising to train the members of the new band.
- Meredith Willson, Franklin Lacey, Abba Bogin
- 1983
- Overview
- Role in The Music Man
Harold Hill, a dishonest traveling salesman, is the main character in The Music Man.
Harold Hill travels on a train to River City, Iowa, among other salesmen who are talking about him and his tricks. Upon arriving, he reveals himself to the salesmen before getting off the train quickly.
The people in River City show Harold their stubborn attitude when he arrives in the small town. He eventually runs into an old friend, Marcellus Washburn, and Marcellus describes the town and its people, specifically a piano teacher and librarian named Marian Paroo. Harold looks for a way to stir up a need for a band in River City, and when he learns that the town recently purchased a new pool table he warns the townspeople about the trouble that it brings to the youth in town. This causes the chaos he had hoped for.
He spots Marian in the crowd of people and attempts to follow her home, but is met with stubbornness and ignored.
The next day, during the Independence Day activities held in the Madison Gymnasium due to the rain, Harold stirs up the crowd once again about the new pool table and uses this as his opportunity to tell them about his "business". He describes the glory that having a boys' band in town would bring. He also attempts to gain trust by sending Tommy Djilas, a troublemaking boy, off with Zaneeta Shinn, the mayor's daughter.
The school board approach Harold in order to get his credentials, but he forms them into a barbershop quartet and manages to distract them. Marian continues to ignore Harold, despite his attempts to make her pay attention. He inquires some of the town's most avid gossipers about her, and hears a false rumor that Marian had an affair with Miser Madison, who gave the town its library. He again distracts the school board from his credentials by helping them start to sing.
Harold travels to the library and tries to make her pay attention to him, and almost succeeds, but when he kisses her she tries to slap him.
Synopsis. There’s trouble in River City! When smooth-talking con man Harold Hill arrives in a small, tight-knit town in Iowa, he expects to dupe its residents with his elaborate moneymaking scheme: Despite his complete lack of musical literacy, he will convince everyone that he is a brilliant bandleader and recruit all the boys in town to ...
View All Characters in The Music Man. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Harold Hill from The Music Man.
29 roles, 14 principals, including 2 children, and an authentic barber-shop quartet. 6 to 10 children. Harold Hill, disarming, articulate actor, sings and dances. Marian, accomplished actress, legit voice, minor dancing.
The show boasts a heavyweight cast with Jessie Mueller playing Marian Paroo, Rosie O’Donnell as Mrs. Paroo, Tony Award nominee John Cariani as Marcellus Washburn, Tony Award nominee Veanne Cox as...
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass. Guide written by. Ellen Leslie. The Music Man characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis.
